The mode of working between client and so-called integrated agency often leads to very poor integrated planning. The problems are power, money and old thinking. This automobile industry case documents an example.

This preliminary paper published in CIM's Critical Marketer (2002) argues that marketing communications need bold thinking to meet today’s challenges, and that media neutral planning is the forum of the future to get us there.

Between fourth-quarter 2003 and first quarter 2005 a group of senior marketers worked with the Centre for Integrated Marketing to identify key principles for the new media neutral integrated communications. These propositions were identified and agreed as part of the research programme.

This case study explores the importance of a strong and coherent organising idea that works across the whole organisation. In 1993 the AA launched an advertising campaign based on the strapline: the 4th emergency service. This campaign achieved considerable recognition, but it also proved to be dysfunctional in one key respect: it was not true to the whole organisation.